Here are 10 facts about poverty in Africa that demonstrate the widespread consequences of poverty that affect education, health, food consumption and more.

Seth Dixon's insight:

Poverty happens all over the world, in the United States, in Africa, South America, you name a region and there is poverty in that area. There are many myths about poverty though, and myths about regions where poverty defines the region in many people's eyes. African economies are on the rise, but there is still many struggles ahead.

I can't say I agree with all the arguments put forward in this video, it can still be a nice starting point to get students to critically analyze the ideas put forth and assess the merits of the claims being made.

I'm not sure if I believe everything this video stated, however I think it is a good topic to analyze. I think it would be interesting to see how the rich countries became rich. They can't just have started on top. I also believe the rich countries abuse the poor countries because we can get goods/minerals/just about anything for a small price and then sell it in the rich country for much more.

...certainly privilege from times past when there were no international watchdogs comes into play, but even when we control for colonialism, certain countries do much better than others. I'm inclined to think like Jared Diamond (The World Until Yesterday) and David Landes (The Wealth and Poverty of Nations. 1998) that institutions matter. If we protect property, provide vertical institutional support while also making room in the shadow of the law for ad hoc cooperation (see Elinor Ostrom's work), and protect intellectual property rights, we tend to have more wealth developed.

TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY: Examines the slum areas of Cincinnati, Ohio, and provides extensive views of substandard housing in various parts of the city. Describes the problems of the uneducated and unemployed who cannot escape from poverty, but finds a "ray of hope" in a young school child. Offers no solution for eliminating urban poverty, but states that everyone "must try."

Seth Dixon's insight:

While some of the technological presentation and the intellectual framework are certainly outdated, it is a glimpse into how America thought about poverty during the LBJ administration and the famous "War on Poverty."

"We have a myth today that the ghettos in metropolitan areas around the country are what the Supreme Court calls 'de-facto' — just the accident of the fact that people have not enough income to move into middle class neighborhoods or because real estate agents steered black and white families to different neighborhoods or because there was white flight. It was not the unintended effect of benign policies, it was an explicit, racially purposeful policy that was pursued at all levels of government, and that's the reason we have these ghettos today and we are reaping the fruits of those policies."

Ghettos were created because of many factors; one of these being in the 20th century real estate agents "blockbusting" basically meaning scaring white folks into thinking their neighborhood was becoming a slum causing them to quickly sell their house to real estate agents for an extremely low price and then turning around to sell the same house to black folks for much more because of limited homes for them to live in.

The ethnic neighborhoods and ghettos that still exist now are the result of people not having enough income to move to middle class neighborhoods and because real estate agents steered black and white families apart.

"A decades-old effort found that moving poor families to better neighborhoods did little to help them. A large new study is about to overturn the findings of Moving to Opportunity. Based on the earnings records of millions of families that moved with children, it finds that poor children who grow up in some cities and towns have sharply better odds of escaping poverty than similar poor children elsewhere."

How vacant houses trace the boundaries of Baltimore's black neighborhoods.

The map on the left shows one very tiny dot for each person living in Baltimore. White people are blue dots, blacks are green, Asians are red and Hispanics yellow.The map on the right shows the locations of Baltimore City's 15,928 vacant buildings. Slide between the two maps and you'll immediately notice that the wedge of white Baltimore, jutting down from the Northwest to the city center, is largely free of vacant buildings. But in the black neighborhoods on either side, empty buildings are endemic.

This article is about Sandtown, Baltimore and its shift into a disamenity sector. It explains how this neighborhood, mainly housed by blacks, had a high percentage of vacant houses. The article says that this neighborhood is overrun with poverty, war on drugs and gangs and has the more residents in jail than any other neighborhood. This shows the changing demographics of the city of Baltimore.

This relates to unit 7 because it covers the topic of disamenity sectors and changing demographics. It shows reasons for the high levels of poverty and abandoned housing. It also shows the racial spatial distribution of the neighborhood and its correlation to housing and development.

This article left me heart broken. The African American community in Baltimore is stuck in a deep poverty cycle, and it cannot seem to escape its impoverished past. Even now, the poverty in the area seems to just be getting worse. The problems of income disparity lead to more problems than just economic; they lead to social and political problems. Social unrest and injustice occurs as a result of the modern white flight. This article arose as a result of the death of Freddie Gray, whose death demonstrates a significant social issue that needs to be addressed: police brutality and the criminal targeting of the African American community. His death stems from the tremendously amounts of disparity in the city. Promoting investment in the inner city would definitely help alleviate the poverty in the area. The problem is getting people to invest.

"Defensive architecture is revealing on a number of levels, because it is not the product of accident or thoughtlessness, but a thought process. It is a sort of unkindness that is considered, designed, approved, funded and made real with the explicit motive to exclude and harass. It reveals how corporate hygiene has overridden human considerations…"

The government should try to develop better methods to keep homeless out of the street. Planning and designating a place to the homeless group by offering better conditions, will change the problem. As the architects have new ideas to resolve a problem with the homeless, they should also be formulating ideas to prevent homelessness such as providing feasible shelter on the street. Part of the problem is that shelters should be marketed in the communities. Local businesses, policies and general communities could be more active in helping these minority groups to get aid and better their life. Cities should provide more programs and aid for the homeless group.

These structures such as benches with dividers that make it impossible to lie down, spikes and protrusions on window ledges and in front of store windows, forests of pointed cement structures under bridges and freeways, emissions of high pitched sounds, and sprinklers that intermittently go off on sidewalks to prevent camping overnight are very rude and without a shadow of a doubt send a message to the homeless that they aren't welcomed, and we will do whatever it takes to make sure they cannot be comfortable; even something as simple as sitting on a windowsill.

This article deals with unit 7 because it discusses architecture and new things in cities. In some cities they have defensive architecture to make it harder for homeless people to live. For example benches with dividers, and pointed cement structures under bridges. This tells the homeless they are unwanted and that others don't care about them.Some corporations have turned to aggressive ways to keep out homeless and the article says the government is denying it. In addition there are few resources to help the homeless and what they do have is insufficient. It also notes that free shelters are very rare. The author says that we should worry a little more about the homeless because "given just the right turn of events, it could happen to us."

"The research shows that kids who have tough childhoods — because of poverty, abuse, neglect, or witnessing domestic violence, for instance — are actually more likely to be sick when they grow up. They're more likely to get diseases like asthma, diabetes and heart disease. And they tend to have shorter lives than people who haven't experienced those difficult events as kids."

Seth Dixon's insight:

The hotspot maps of crime and poverty are correlated (not a big surprise), but this is another example of using spatial data to drive public policy. After making these initially correlations, they noticed a total lack of services, including medical care in the area that needed it most. This podcast is the story on how geographic analysis gave birth to a "clinic on wheels."

Kids that go through or witness violence probably get depressed. A lot of people eat when they are depressed so heart problems and other diseases might be likely to happen. Mapping these cases will show how and where this is happening, and maybe even help put an end to them.

This article is about Dr. Nancy Hardt and her work in the Gainesville area to decrease poverty, abuse and neglect. The research shows that kids who have tough childhoods due to poverty, abuse, neglect or witnessing domestic violence are more likely to be sick when they grow up and they tend to have shorter lives than people who haven't experienced difficult events as kids. By looking at Medicaid records, she made a map that showed exactly where Gainesville children were born into poverty. She worked with others to determine that the area also had high crime rate including domestic violence and child abuse. Hardt visited this area and noted hunger, substandard housing and a lack of services, including medical care. She converted an old schoolbus into the "clinic on wheels" where patients could walk in without an appointment and get treatment free of charge. Hardt also opened the SWAG Center where kids can come play all day long. There's a food pantry, free meals, a computer room, AA meetings and a permanent health clinic is about to open up across the street.

This relates to unit 1 because it deals with the analyzation of maps to determine the connection to a phenomena. Dr. Hardt took many maps of crime, poverty and hunger to show one area that was high in all areas. She then interpreted the maps to conclude that people in this area later obtained many illnesses and shorter lifespans. She worked with this information to create the solution of child safe places and medical centers to help reduce the outcome. This shows how important maps can be by looking at patters spatially.

Drexel University is taking a hands-on approach to redeveloping one of Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods with a new center designed to serve not just students but mainly local residents.

Seth Dixon's insight:

This NPR podcast shows a good example of an urban revitalization project that is actively trying to avoid following the gentrification path. Growing colleges can unintentionally displace longtime residents, but this project is about preserving the cultural fabric of the neighborhood and building good will in the community.

Many urban neighborhoods are places of concentrated poverty, and it's killing opportunity in the US.

American cities are growing, and as they grow, they're adding lots of high-poverty neighborhoods. Nearly three times as many "high-poverty" census tracts existed in 2010 as in 1970. That's unsettling on its face but even more so when you see the havoc a poor neighborhood can wreak on a resident's chances at a good life. Forget gentrification — this is a bigger problem.

The chart above tallies up the people living in these neighborhoods in 1970 and 2010. What it shows is that the number of people living in high-poverty neighborhoods — those with poverty rates of 30 percent or more — has roughly doubled since 1970. That's because these neighborhoods of concentrated poverty have a tendency to stay that way, even while new ones sprout up.

A. 60% of all households without toilets in the world are in India.B. India’s Muslims are less affected by the sanitation problem than Hindus.C. India’s lack of toilets is worse than China’s.D. Lack of toilets in India puts women at especially high risk.

Unfathomable to see that all of these are true, but at the same time not unbelievable. I can see sanitation problems being relevant wherever there is overpopulation in the world. Especially here where Muslims are defecating outside as a part of ritual, you wonder if they would use toilets even if they had them. India is lucky they don't have some disease running ram,pant that can kill large portions of their population in a hurry like the plague in England.

In America, this story is not fathomable. The sanitation problem in India goes beyond cultural norms, in my opinion. I think it is evident of an infrastructure that is way behind the country's socioeconomic level of growth. It seems like finally, after electing a new prime minister, that there will be much focus brought on the issue. It also seems that if they don't shore up this sanitation issue that they will have a bigger epidemic on their hands, as there have been recent murders and rapes of young women in these sanitation fields.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is potentially one of the richest countries on earth, but colonialism, slavery and corruption have turned it into one of the poorest

Seth Dixon's insight:

One thing that baffles many students is how a resource-rich region can be an area of underdevelopment and poverty. Understanding the historical geography is key for students being able to see that natural wealth does not correlate to enriching the local population. Kinshasa, the capital that seemed so promising as the site of the famous "Rumble in the Jungle between Ali and Frazier, is now a city of chaos.

It is sad that the Congo is in the current state it is in, the country is very rich in material resources but remains strikingly poor. The country has been subjugated by poor treatment from the powers of Europe for centuries. The Portuguese, English, and Belgians all destroyed the country over the years. The Portuguese were the first to do so, as they wanted the man power to work in the new world, and this also helped the English who had their own new world colonies, the two European groups worked well with each other to plunder the country, which was once a thriving kingdom of manpower. Things really started going bad for the Congo once the Belgians stepped in and made it their own colony during the African Land Grab. As the article explains, all its goods were used by the West for years to come (for bullets in WWI, for components of the Atom Bomb in WWII, and even for Cell Phone Components). Even once the Belgians left, the country was no better off, due to the fact that the indigenous people did not know how to run their own country, how could they after years of domination. So what happened logically, is that a strong man took over and ran the country as a dictatorship. Even today, the country remains unstable because after he was thrown out of power the country destabilized and fought Civil Wars in which its neighbors would pick sides. This article shows that resources can be a dangerous thing for countries to have, outsiders will invade and destabilize them in order to advance their own agendas. Europe has certainly left a great deal of scars across Africa.

It is a shame and extremely sad that the people of the Congo can not capitalize on their natural resources to make better lives for themselves. This country has been ravaged and taken advantage of by outsiders for hundreds of years. During this time these countries have gotten rich while these people live in poverty.

Geography talks a lot about the impact of globalization and imperialism. One of the best examples of this is found in The Democratic Republic of Congo. For its entire history, imperialist nations have sought out this country's resources and were not hesitant to exploit the population to accomplish this end. On of the great ironies in globalization is that the countries richest in resources are the most exploited. Take to the extreme as in Congo, the economy is so crushed that there is no way for the country to recover.

"In this exclusive, unedited interview, 'I Am Malala' author Malala Yousafzai remembers the Taliban's rise to power in her Pakistani hometown and discusses her efforts to campaign for equal access to education for girls. Malala Yousafzai also offers suggestions for people looking to help out overseas and stresses the importance of education."

Seth Dixon's insight:

For younger audiences, hearing someone their own age discuss educational opportunities (or the lack thereof) based on gender can leave a profound impression. Today, Malala is a Nobel Peace Prize winner (deservedly so), as she's become an icon in her own right as she champions developmental opportunities for girls in cultures that historically have not had equal offerings for young women. Watch this documentary to see who she was before she was thrust into the international spotlight, and hear her father's perspective. Some, however, only see this as Western hypocrisy.

This goes under the category of gender because she talks about how in Pakistan, many girls were not allowed an education. This relates to our studies on gender equality in different cultures by talking about the inequalities in Pakistan education for women. And especially reminds me of the seminar we had where we discussed what we should do to benefit gender equality, because she suggested what we should do, and that education should be assured.

Summary: In this interview, Jon Stewart talks with Malala Yousafzai, a girl who outwardly fought for women's education, and in doing so, was shot by the Taliban. Even now, she continues to fight for women's equality and their right to education, after she won her Nobel Peace Prize.

Insight: In this interview, the main topic is gender equality, and how it can lead to better education for women, which, in turn, gives women more power. Although developed countries, especially in Western Europe, already display high gender equality, more developing countries, especially in the Middle East, have hardly anything close to gender equality. Even with low amounts of gender equality, people like Malala and advocates in Western countries are striving towards this goal of gender equality.

"Violence has a geography and for this reason, geography lies at the center of discussions of violence. Within the United States a myriad of taken for granted assumptions about identity, place, power, and memory undergird the nation’s psyche. These normative interpretations intersect with a particular kind of geographic formulation that places persons of color in general, but black men most specifically, at the center of the violent structures of the nation."

Seth Dixon's insight:

This isn't merely commentary about social upheaval or some musing about the social inequities (I think we've all read a ton of those articles). This is a geographic analysis that discusses the interactions, interconnections and implications of a social and spatial conflict between citizens and the institutions of the state. Ferguson, MO is undoubtedly a lightning rod today and some might prefer to avoid discussing it in a classroom setting; I find that as long as we put analysis before ideology, issues such as these show students the relevance and importance of geographic principles to their lives.

The coal economy in Central Appalachia is in an unprecedented freefall. Which isn't making it easier for workers to move on.

Seth Dixon's insight:

West Virginia and 'coal country' are in steep economic decline, but that doesn't mean people are eager to leave. Leaving for many is a last resort, but when residents feel a familial and emotional connection to a place--to the land--that can create a rationale for staying that is stronger than economic push factors. This video set in West Virgina captures the strong sense of place and community that can exist in a place even in in the face of tough times economic prospects. Geographer Ben Marsh wrote about in a 1987 Annals article: "The residents of the anthracite towns of northeastern Pennsylvania show a considerable loyalty to a landscape that provides them with little of material value. This should remind the observer that any broad concept of place must address two different aspects of a landscape: the physical support it provides (means) and the intangible rewards it offers (meaning). "

(North America post 3)Built upon from class today, this article discusses the hardship many Appalachian families are feeling as the coal mining business continues to evolve and industrialize. Although coal was the major 'boom' behind many of these towns, the 'bust' hits more than just those laid off by the industry. Like a chain reaction, other families and their businesses suffer; less income leads to less eating out leads to less income for restaurants, and it goes on and on. This article is also good at showing that geography is more than spatial and economic: on certain levels, it's also relational, personal, cultural, and historic, giving residents strong feelings behind their decisions to stay.

This video really shows the relationship between sense of place versus economic geography. Even though the town is no longer the rich mining town it once was, the remaining residents still cling to the past and their sense of identity remains strong. It demonstrates that cultural heritage is a powerful factor that can remain long after dramatic economic changes. Even though there are few opportunities left in the town and the majority of its young people leave for greener pastures, some residents still identify so strongly with the area that they are willing to do whatever they can to revitalize their town.

"To be honest I do not know what they make of my beans," says farmer N'Da Alphonse. "I've heard they're used as flavoring in cooking, but I've never seen it. I do not even know if it's true." Watch how the Dutch respond to a cocoa bean in return or you can watch our entire episode on chocolate here.

Seth Dixon's insight:

What is the geography of chocolate like? This video was produced in the Netherlands, the global center of the cocoa trade, but the world's leading producer of cocoa is Côte d'Ivoire. There is a dark side to chocolate production; the dirty secret is that slavery is commonplace on cocoa plantations in West Africa. Although the worst of the situation is glossed over in this video, it still hints at the vast economic inequalities that are part and parcel of the global chocolate trade and the plantation roots of the production. What are some of your reactions to this video?

This is a reminder of how well off the past colonizers really are in comparison to the once colonized lands. When describing the chocolate some of the African workers called it “a precious gift” and a “privilege to taste.” Yet even I, a huge chocoholic, think both of those descriptions are extreme. My reaction to this stems solely from that fact that I am lucky enough to have what I think is a simple commodity in the United States. Really, the descriptions from the farmers probably isn’t that far off since they never ate it before. Hearing their reactions though was just a bit it is actually a bit sad. They handle a part of the produce every day, but never knew what it was like. Now that the farmers know it is going to be bitter sweet as well. On the one hand, they had the pleasure of knowing. However, they probably won’t have an opportunity to eat the chocolate ever again give how expensive and rare it is in their country. I wonder of many years from now, the Ivory Coast will ever be able to raise the standard of living within the country enough so that chocolate will one day be seen as common place?

It is inconceivable that these farmers did not know what the end product was. A little suspicious of the lack of knowledge given the relative ease of access to the internet. the point is still valid as the real factor here is the inputs of labor being so inexpensive. In class last week, we learned that Africa is by far the youngest continent in the world and thus is ripe for exploitation of young and plentiful labor. Seems Africa can't win when it comes to slavery; from the exportation of slaves to the Americas and Europe in the late 1700's to mid 1800's to colonization efforts by Britain and other nations they can't catch a break. I love my chocolate and will not stop purchasing it. That is not the issue. The issue is slave labor and corrupt governments that support this problem. The Ivory Coast is aptly named; white supremacy at it's core....

"From the time we’re about 6 years old, everyone loves a good poop joke, right? But is there something more meaningful lurking beneath the bathroom banter? Take a look at some international potty humor and then follow the jokes to a deeper understanding. Every laugh on this page reflects a life and death issue: the very real sanitation problems facing India today."

Seth Dixon's insight:

What is the most impactful way to assist underdeveloped societies? Many will argue for food, clothing or education, but these comedians from India feel that access to sanitation will have more tangible impacts in the lives of the poorest Indians. 54% of people in India do not have regular access to toilets and these comedians are using their platform to not only get some laughs, but to advocate for social change.

I do not want to use public bathrooms in the first place but this makes me want to not use them more. It is frightening that three children die every minute because of poor sanitation. Also, 1.5 million children die every year because of poor sanitation. These facts are so horrific and now I am going to make sure I am sanitized.

INDIA’S general election will take place before May. The front-runner to be the next prime minister is Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party, currently chief minister of Gujarat. A former tea-seller, he has previously attacked leaders of the ruling Congress party as elitist, corrupt and out of touch. Now he is emphasising his humble caste origins. In a speech in January he said 'high caste' Congress leaders were scared of taking on a rival from 'a backward caste'. If Mr Modi does win, he would be the first prime minister drawn from the 'other backward classes', or OBC, group. He is not the only politician to see electoral advantage in bringing up the subject: caste still matters enormously to most Indians."

Seth Dixon's insight:

This article from the Economist is dated since Mr. Modi is now the prime minister of India, but this analysis of how caste was used as a political asset in the election is a timely reminder that while the caste system has been officially abolished, the cultural ripples are still being felt today in a myriad of ways that impact social interactions (marriage, jobs, etc.).

Caste will take more than a few generations to lose its social privilege/oppression. The verbal history passed from parent to child enforces the idea of caste, even when it has been done away with by law. This social hierarchy effects business, marriage, and politics.

While in some ways India has been quick to adapt to the 21st century such as in the technical industry and even in the loosening of ridged marriage practices this caste system has remained. This system of societal stratification has persisted and as this article explains plays a large role in the politics of India today. The castes also play a role in employment and marriage in determining who can do what work and who it is socially acceptable to marry.

I agree that until there are more jobs created for the people of India, the slower the caste will fade out. Over time it will fade out eventually, but the creation of jobs and more social interaction will help the process move along faster.

Want to learn more about the issues surrounding poverty in the world today? We ve assembled a collection of some of the best data visualizations for just that.

Seth Dixon's insight:

This set of 12 graphics all show a particular facet on the topic of global poverty. I've shared some of this before, but the compilation is definitely helpful. In the graphic above, the connection between low female literacy rates and poverty is demonstrated quite powerfully.

"More than a billion people around the world subsist on a dollar a day, or less. The reasons differ but the day-to-day hardship of their lives are very similar. A book by Thomas A Nazario, founder of the International Organisation, documents the circumstances of those living in extreme poverty across the globe, accompanied by photographs from Pulitzer prizewinner Renée C Byer. Living On A Dollar a Day is published by Quantuck Lane."

Seth Dixon's insight:

Extreme poverty is defined by the World Bank living on under $1.25 per day. The geography of of extreme poverty highly uneven--two thirds of the extremely poor live in just 5 countries (India, China, Nigeria, Bangladesh and DR Congo). This photogallery seeks to to show the daily life and realities of those living in extreme poverty. This article from the Guardian argues that development should measured in human rights gains more than economic advancements.

\I guess it's true what they say; a picture is worth a thousand words. Before even opening this article, you could get a sense from the picture that it wasn't going to be a good one. You can tell by their facial expressions and the environment that surrounds them. Even the colors that are portrayed in the picture send off meaning. The picture is not very bright. It sends off a sad image with all the brown everywhere. However, we do see a little peek of sunlight shining through. Before reading this, one might see this as a good sign from God, or someone watching over these people. Once I opened the article, there were many more pictures describing their lifestyles. You can tell that they don't make much money by the way they live. There was another picture in the article with a dark tint to it, representing a negative atmosphere, including one girl folding her arms and one girl with tears running down her face . There are no pictures were everyone in the images have smiles on their faces.

These picture paint a very sad and very real truth. Many of the people in the pictures are caring for children and barely have enough to make it through the day. One woman works long hours for about 50 cents a day and that is horrible, another woman is 40 years old and works at a construction site, which is obviously not the norm. These people, mainly the children, have hope of going to school, but for most of them that is just a dream that will never come true.

In Bangladesh men desperate for work perform one of the world’s most dangerous jobs.

Seth Dixon's insight:

What happens to massive cargo vessels after they are outdated? There are tons of scrap metal, but they aren't

designed to be taken apart. The ship-breakers of South Asia (Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are 3 of the 4 global leaders in recycling ships) risk much to mine this resource. This is an economic function that is a part of a globalized economy, but one than was never intended. There are major health risks to the workers and pollutants to the local community that are endemic in this industry that manages to survive on the scraps of the global economy.

I like the part of this article that asks "In the West you don’t let people pollute your countries by breaking up ships on your beaches. Why is it OK for poor workers to risk their lives to dispose of your unwanted ships here?” This statement is so true and of course is related to the money that is saved by outsourcing the job of breaking down the ships. Not only does it save the West money, but it saves the land by not bringing the pollution upon us. There has to be a way to do this job more environmentally friendly and making it safer for the workers.

I always wondered what happened to ships after they were taken out of service, I've seen images of airplane grave yards out west, filled with 747's and other planes just rotting away. Though some of those planes are huge, ships are definitely larger and take up more space.

The waste of the ships is incredible. The hull may be the visible part of the vessel but on the inside, the ship is filled with toxic waste from its days of transporting oil. Asbestos is also laden within the older ships since health laws were not as strict in pre-1980 world.

It is easy to see how Bangladesh became the ship deconstruction capital of the world. Toxic material disposal in the Western world is incredibly expensive since it is done correctly. Bangladesh has cheap labour and the laws in regards to the disposal of toxic waste are loose. Where a company in the West may haul in less of a profit because of the cost of disposal, Bangladeshi companies are able to take in a one million dollar return on a five million dollar investment.

With the health risks and pollution that is ruining the soil aside, this seems like a great buiseness and way to make money for many people who are unqualified to do anything else. Its almost like the people working in factories and in the steel mills during the beginning of the industrial revolution. Many jobs were hazardous for your health and your surroundings, but it is a way to make a living. I can see why it happens in this part of the world as apposed to others due to the low wages these people are working for, thus making this even more profitable to the people running the show.

Where the extremely poor live

The World Bank has produced a report entitled "Prosperity for All." In this, the extremely poor are defined as making less than $1.25 a day. Two thirds of the extremely poor live in just 5 countries (India, China, Nigeria, Bangladesh and DR Congo). This article from the Guardian argues that development should measured in human rights gains more than economic advancements.

This information is taken from the World Bank's 2014 report "Prosperity for All." The report looks at "progress to date in reducing global poverty and discusses some of the challenges of reaching the interim target of reducing global poverty to 9 percent by 2020.... . It also reports on the goal of promoting shared prosperity, with a particular focus on describing various characteristics of the bottom 40 percent."

This graphic reveals the poorest populations and where they live and even though India and China are economic competitors on the global stage they still have the poorest communities.

IN poor communities, the human place is changed by using less structurally sound architecture and disregarding cultural presence for functionality though holding true to cultural presence in individual lives.

I agree with this article from the Guardian that development should be measured in human rights gains more than economic advancements. While globalization is taking place and allowing countries to trade and maximize profits, a large percent of people in the world are deprived basic human rights and are entirely forgotten about and not valued.

"McDowell County, situated in the coalfields of West Virginia, has experienced a great boom-and-bust since 1950. But despite the economic decline and population loss, many still call it home and feel a great sense of purpose among the mountains. Residents speak about their connection to this place and the meaning of 'home.' Hear more stories at hollowdocumentary.com "

Seth Dixon's insight:

This video perfectly exemplifies some key geographic ideas; sense of place, regional economic decline, migration and resource extraction. This video would be great to shows students and then get them to analyze the geographic context that creates a place like McDowell County, West Virginia. This will be a great addition to my Place-Based Geography Videos StoryMap.

Excellent example of urban decline. Would pair nicely with a reading from 'Rocket Boys' by Homer Hickam Jnr, or with the movie version 'October Sky.' The book and movie are the true story of a boy in Coalwood, West Virginia in the 1950s who is determined to "escape" working in the coal mines to become a rocket scientist.

McDowell, a once thriving county in the 1950’s ceased to keep up with the ever-chaning world. There was little need for coal after the 1980’s so work became scarce and the “Brain Drain” began. Those looking for a successful future left for there was more choice elsewhere and economically it would make no sense to stay in McDowell. Nevertheless, cultural upbringings paved way to this "Boom and Bust” town, which gave people a sense of place and identity. Though McDowell is economically on the decline the communal relations and sense of place the community holds is still strong.

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.